Masters in Human Resources recently compiled an infographic exploring the ways in which the LinkedIn phenomenon has revolutionized the world of recruiting and hiring. With over 200 million users in 200+ countries, LinkedIn has come to provide a critical resource for recruiters in today’s job market, with 97 percent of all HR and staffing professionals using LinkedIn as part of their recruiting efforts. In fact, 89 percent of recruiters filling a job used this forum and 73 percent of recruiters filling a position via social media forums in general in 2012 (a 15 percent increase from 2011). Across the board, 10 percent of all jobs are filled using job networking sites like LinkedIn, and 77 percent of all job openings total are posted on LinkedIn.

One of the reasons LinkedIn has become such a popular tool for recruiters has to do with cost. On average, it costs $3,500 to recruit and hire the average employee in the U.S., with a mere 3 percent of recruitment spending going toward sites like LinkedIn. For small businesses, this is key, as LinkedIn is able to deliver more recruits at significantly less expense than traditional methods of working with job boards and recruiting agencies. It’s also relatively easy to use, as hiring managers can simply log in and find and pursue the candidate of their choice, even if those candidates aren’t currently looking for new employment. Additionally, since LinkedIn is a public site, this promotes increased honesty on the part of potential hires. The global nature of the LinkedIn forum also gives small businesses access to a much broader job pool.

Interestingly, unlike other social media forums, LinkedIn is used primarily by companies and recruiters, with most users only spending 0 to 2 hours per week on the site. In fact, only 50.5 percent of users have completed their entire profile on the site for recruiters’ perusal. However, this trend is shifting, as more and more job seekers are beginning to view LinkedIn as a critical tool in their job search efforts.

While LinkedIn only had 37 million users in 2009, by the end of 2012 this had grown to 187 million users and these numbers are still continuing to climb. Expect for LinkedIn’s relevancy to continue to grow as well in the coming years.

Reference

Essany, Michael. “Infographic: LinkedIn Continues to Change How We Hire.” Mobile Marketing Watch. 5/1/13.